Willard b



Mel) "w. B. STEVENS.

, BOTTLE STOPPER. No. 519,510.

Patented May 8. 1894.

/N|/ENTOH Jive/w "X4411 11/56 4 ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STA ES WILLARD 13. STEVENS, O F;l I-EW YORK, N. Y.

PAT NT OFFICE.

BOTTLE-STOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,510, dated May 8,1894.

Application filed June 22,1893. Serial No. 478,434. on 510,141.)

To aliwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD B. STEVENS,

vented certain new and useful Improvements I in Bottle-Stoppers, ofwhich the following is a specification. F This invention has referenceto an improved stopper for bottleswhich are designed for the shippingand sale of whisky and similar liquors, the stopper being designed witha view of permitting the pouring out of the contents of the bottle, butpreventing refilling of the same, so that the manufacturer has a certainkind of protection that his bottles will not be used over again byunauthorized parties or unscrupulous competitors. The'inventionconsistsof a bottle stopper which comprises a centrally apertured head that isinserted into the mouth of the bottle and provided with a perforatedguard cup attached to the under side'of the top of the stopper, a cageon the under side of the head and provided with a seat for a valve thatcloses by gravity the bottom orifice of the cage when the bottle isplaced in vertical position or nearly so.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical centralsection of the mouth of a bottle, showing my improved stopper partlyin-section and partly in perspective view,insertedinto the same. Fig. 2is a similar section, showing the stopper inserted provided respectivelywith a ball valve-and at sufficient depth into the mouth of the bottleso as to permit theinsertion of acork above the stopper, and Figs. 3 and4 are also vertical central sections, showing my im proved stopperinserted into the same and a conical or cup-shaped valve, Fig. 3, showing furthermore a closing cork inserted into the central opening'of thesame. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of. the stopper, showing a differentshape.

Similar letters :ofreference indicate corresponding parts.

' Referringto the drawings, A represents the mouth of a'whisky or otherbottle, and B the stopper for the same, which stopper is composed offour main elements, namely, a ce'n trally perforated head 0 which ispreferably made of hard wood, glass, metal or other suitable materiaLaguard cup D which is either made integral with the head (J or in aseparate piece and attached to the under side, of

the same. The guard cup'D is provided with apertures at its sides, butis closed at the bottom for the purposes hereinafterto be men- I tioned.v

A cage E is attached to the underside of the head 0 and made ofsheet-metal, glass or other suitable material, the cagebeing made inconicall'y tapering shape, or curved or tapered at its bottom, so as toform a contracted orifice which forms the seatfor a valve F which can bemade either in the shape of a ball or in the shape of a hollow cup ofconical or other shape, as preferred. The valve F is preferably made ofglass, when the round form of valve is used, of or aluminium or othersuitable metal when the conical shape is used. Whatever be the shape ofthe valve, it acts in the nature of a gravity valve so as to close thebottom orifice of the cage E, whenever an attempt is made to refill thebottle.

The stopper is cemented or otherwise secured into the bottlemouth afterit is filled with the liquor that is to be sold, in the'same. The bottleis then corked by inserting the cork stopper M into the central apertureof the head C, said stopper closing thereby the discharge orifice of thestopper E.

' When it is desired to close the bottle in'the ordinary manner by corksthat fitinto the mouth of the bottle, the stopper is cemented into thebottle mouth at a sufficient depth below the rim, so that sufficientspace is left for the insertion of the cork above the stopper, as

.D, the liquid passing then through the bottom opening'in the cage andthe apertures in the guard cup to the outside. Any refilling ofthebottles is prevented, or at least connected with considerabledifficulty and loss of time, so that the original bottle cannot be usedfor the sale of inferior liquors.

When a hollow sheet-metal conical valve is used, any attempt of fillingis rendered still more difficult, inasmuch as the filling'of the valveby a portion of the liquor will tend to" hold the same in position bygravity, so that the same resists in a greater measure thana round valveany attempt from placing the same from its seat. Whenever an attempt is5 made to fill the bottle by holding the same in a horizontal positionby the action of the siphon, the hollow cone valve would be floated in aposition on its seat by the pressure of the liquid attempted to beintroduced, and thereby close the cage so that no liquid could beconducted into the bottle. The stopper described, therefore constitutesa safeguard to the distiller or'wholesale: dealer as it guarantees tosome extent the article beingan origithe bottle at any time after theoriginal contents of the same are taken from the bottle;

Having thus described my invention, I olaim as new'and desire to secureby Letters 20 Patent nal package, while it preventsthe refilling of Abottle-stopper, adapted for permanent insertion intoa bottle, consistingof a head having a centraldischarge-aperture, agnard-cnp located attheunder side of said head and inclosing said discharge-aperture, saidcap hav- 2 5 ing perforated sides and an imperforate bot- :tom, acageextending from the under side of the headdownwardand provided with avalveseat at its lower end, and a gravity valve received by said seatwhen the bottle is in up- 30 right position and adapted to rest on saidimperforate bottom when the bottle is in reflve'rsed position,substantially asset forth.

In testimony thatl claim the foregoing as myinvention I'have signed myname in press- 35 once of two subscribing witnesses.

, WILLARD B. STEVENS.

Witnesses:

PAUL GonPEn, CHARLES SGHROEDER.

